“I could come wi—”
She raised her hand, a hint of a smile tracing her lips. “Grocery shopping is private, remember?”
I chuckled, bemused. “All right. I’ll just…uh, linger here for a few minutes.”
“Perfect.”
Zara put up a cursory protest as I took her bags and loaded them into the truck. Then I opened her door for her and waited until she was buckled to close it, and the look she gave me was loaded with something I couldn’t pin down. Something like confusion, but that wasn’t it. Loss? Maybe…yet that didn’t really fit either.
There was a time when I’d thought I could read Zara like a book, but that was years ago. Another life. I had to remember that. We were different people now, with a metric ton of experience and baggage shaping who we’d become.
When we were on our way again, Sugar Brush thinning out behind us, she rubbed her palms along her legs and sighed.
“Pam’s nice.”
I glanced over. “Yeah. Most people around here are.”
“I forgot that—what it’s like to know everyone you come in contact with. It’s…I don’t know if it’s comforting or claustrophobic.”
“Yeah.” I drummed my thumbs on the wheel. “It’s a perspective thing. When I was younger, this town felt like an ill-fitting suit—like I couldn’t take a full breath or move my limbs properly. Then I went to Savage U, where everyone was a stranger, and missed the hell out of it.”
She huffed a soft laugh. “There were no Pams in Savage River, that’s for sure. Portland either.”
“There’s no place like home.”
“I’ve heard that somewhere before.” She shifted in her seat, pulling her leg up so she could face me. “Tell me everything that’s happened in Sugar Brush the last couple years.”
I cocked my head. “Everything? You don’t know?”
“Only what I’ve heard from my parents. I want your version.”
“All right.” The easiest thing to talk about was my family. They’d been up to a lot. Built lives, found happiness. “All my siblings are parents now. Caleb’s got Jesse, of course. He’s fifteen and the smartest person I know. Now he’s got little Desmond with his wife, Alice, too. If you take a trip to the library, you’ll likely meet her. She’s the head librarian and knows pretty much every book ever written. She wrote her own series that’s finally getting published.”
“Wow. That’s incredible. Sounds like Caleb landed himself quite the catch.”
I had to laugh. “He did, no thanks to himself. He almost screwed it all up by missing what was right in front of him. Fortunately for him, Alice gave him another chance.”
She leaned in, elbow on the console, chin on her fist. “Tell me more.”
“Hannah got married to Remi a few years back. Have you heard of Remington Town? He left Wyoming to become a pretty well-known conflict photojournalist.”
“My mom showed me his books a couple years ago. I recognized a lot of his pictures. He was Caleb’s best friend when they were kids, right?”
“Right. When Remi came back after his dad died, he and Hannah got together. None of us saw that coming, but they’re perfect for each other. They’ve got Silas and Brooks. Silas takes after Hannah, as wild as they come. Brooks is a mellow little guy. He just watches his big brother wreak havoc.”
I saw her smile in my periphery, soft and unguarded. It settled into me like muscle memory. “God, I can’t wait to meet Silas and Brooks. Desmond too. I’m sure he’s adorable. Jesse was so cute when he was little. I already know I’m going to love them all.”
“Hard not to,” I agreed. “I’m sure you’ll see them sooner than later, especially if you come over for Sunday dinners.”
“I don’t want to intrude or wear out my welcome.”
“You have to know my parents consider you family, Zara.” The words came out easily because they were true. “There’s no possible way you could intrude. You could move yourself into their house, and they’d welcome you, no questions asked.”
Her hand fell away from her chin, sliding back to her lap. “I kind of did that when I was hired for the summer.”
“Pretty sure they offered you the guesthouse.”
“I’mpretty sure my mother called your mother and asked.”
